Midnight Cowboy (Jade Thirlwall song)

"Midnight Cowboy" is the first promotional single by English singer and songwriter Jade. It was released on 25 September 2024, through RCA Records. Alongside Jonah Christian, Jade co-wrote the song with English singer-songwriter Raye, whom she worked with while in Little Mix. It features a cameo speaking verse from Scottish actor Ncuti Gatwa, with references made to Edward Enninful and the non-binary community. It debuted at number ninety-three on the Official UK Charts.

"Midnight Cowboy"
Promotional single by Jade
Released	25 September 2024 (2024-09-25)
Recorded	2022
Genre	Pop electronica
Length	3:32
Label	RCA
Composer(s)	Jade Thirlwall Rachel Keen Jonah Christian
Lyricist(s)	Thirlwall Keen
Producer(s)	Christian Stephen Mykal
Visualizer
"Midnight Cowboy" on YouTube

Background and release

"Midnight Cowboy" was first teased on 23 September 2024 after Scottish actor Ncuti Gatwa posted a teaser to his Instagram page.^[1] The following day, Jade announced on her social media pages that she would be releasing a surprise track ahead of her second single release for her fans.^[2][3] A visualizer for the song was released the same day where a new song called "That's Showbiz, Baby!", could be heard playing at the beginning of the video.^[2]

Composition and lyrics

"Midnight Cowboy" was written and composed by Jade Thirlwall, Rachel Keen, and Jonah Christian in 2022, with production handled by Stephen Mykal. It had been described by Jade as a song "owning your sexuality", which incorporates a spoken word verse by Scottish actor Ncuti Gatwa. The lyrics reference Edward Enninful and the non-binary community.^[4]

Critics described it as a pop^[2] and electronica^[5] song that incorporates elements of 2000s R&B.^[5] The lyrics also referenced the 1969 film Midnight Cowboy and the 1953 film Calamity Jane.^[6]

Charts

Chart performance for "Midnight Cowboy"

Chart (2024)	Peak position
UK Singles (OCC)[7]	93

References

1. "Jade announces surprise track 'Midnight Cowboy' as a gift to fans". Hits Radio. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
2. "Listen to Jade's experimental new solo track Midnight Cowboy". Official Charts. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
3. "Jade Thirlwall's next solo song was co-written by Raye". Music News. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
4. Smith, Thomas (25 September 2024). "Little Mix's Jade Shares New Solo Song 'Midnight Cowboy', Co-Written with Rayee". Billboard. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
5. Murray, Robin (25 September 2024). "Jade Owns Her Sexuality On 'Midnight Cowboy' | News". Clash. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
6. "What does Ncuti Gatwa say in his Jade 'Midnight Cowboy' cameo?". Capital. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
7. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 October 2024.